• Harriet Dart apologized for suggesting her opponent needed deodorant during the Rouen Open.
• Dart lost the match 6-0, 6-3 to Lois Boisson, marking an upset in the tournament.
• Boisson humorously responded to Dart's comment by posting an edited photo with deodorant.

British tennis player Harriet Dart publicly apologized for asking the chair umpire to tell her opponent, Lois Boisson, to use deodorant, stating she "smells really bad." This incident occurred during Dart's first-round loss at the Rouen Open, where she was defeated 6-0, 6-3, in a match that saw her struggle throughout, according to BBC.

Dart's comment, captured by a microphone during a changeover, provoked immediate backlash on social media. She later posted on Instagram, "It was a heat-of-the-moment comment that I truly regret," emphasizing her respect for Boisson and her commitment to learning from the incident, reports Reuters.

Meanwhile, Boisson, who was already on the court when the remark was made, responded light-heartedly by posting an edited photo of herself holding deodorant and tagging Dove for a potential collaboration. She humorously captioned the post, prompting a positive response from the brand, according to CBS News.

The match itself marked a significant achievement for Boisson, making her first WTA Tour appearance of the season after injury and scoring an upset against the 62nd-ranked Dart, who failed to capitalize on any of her six break point opportunities throughout the match, as noted by Channel News Asia.